The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-02-16
WINSTON, N. c., FEBRUARY Is, 1887.

lar live limbs and sprouts, there
few browzed and stunted apple trees,
with broomsedge and poverty and
laziness freely mixed in with other
dead trees and CALLED slopes and
gullies, you may know without any
further inquiry that there is not a
pretty woman on the premises, and
that the men and boys are ugly and
| vulgar. 1t is contrary to s'the eter-
nal fitness Of things" for it to be
otherwise, as our surroundings and
living will Enthusiastically show in
our features and general make up.
But take the home where the front
yard is in good shape and nicely set
in grass and evergreens and shade
trees and vines and flowers, with a
we'll selected orchard near by, laid
out in regular straight rows in every
direction, :.Il substantially and neatly
inclosed to itself, and all the dead
limbs and sprouts kept trimmed off
and the trees in good shape and
thrifty, you may expect to find in
such a home magazines, good books
and papers and music and pretty
girls, and good eating, and clever
boys, thrift and happiness. You
will never find a "bug in their but
ter-milk." Oh, that we could have
all of our country homes frightened
up by the hand of good cheer
Every farmer owes it to his family,
his State and to future generations
to plant trees and orchards and help
beautify and better the world while
he lives in it. In point Of healthful
living it pays to have an abundance
Of good fruit the year round. And
l am told by professional nursery
men that our section here is as we'll
adapted to fruit growing and in as
great variety as any part of the
known world. And still our mer-
chants and fruit dealers have to send
abroad to getnearly all of the apples
and canned fruits for their trade.
Shame upon North Carolina that
she will every year send out of the
State thousands of dollars for these
various things, while we could make
all these ourselves just as we'll and
keep this money at home.
Let us begin now, this spring, to
renovate our old and run down
orchards-dig up every dead and
worthless tree-take out every root
and burn them and reset with we'll
rooted young tree. 1t requires
thorough and nice work to make
young trees grow off we'll where
these old ones have died, they easily
take the same or similar diseases
that killed the others. Renew all
the soil about their roots and man.
ure well-I am satisfied that apples
will pay us better in this section
than any other kind of fruit, con-
sidering that our facilities for mark
citing the more perishable fruits are
not so favorable. There is always
ready sale for good apples from
October to April and our farmers
could make money out them if they
would try. For home use every
family should be we'll supplied with
peaches, pears, grapes, cherries,
strawberries and the small fruits
generally and no farmer is doing his
duty to his wife and children who
fails to do this.
Fruit adds greatly to the table and
helps out a scanty bill of fare, and
their free use is healthful, civilizing
and enobling. The farmer that has
not already an orchard | urge upon
him the necessity of setting out one
this Spring. Get the best and most
suitable varieties, locate in suitable
place, prepare the land thoroughly,
set the trees properly and see to it
that they are we'll kept in every
respect. Don't spend money in
buying trees or waste labor in plant
ing them unless you intend to care
for them afterwards. A scabby, neg
lected orchard is disgrace to any
man. We are fortunate in this section
in being convenient to first class
nurseries, managed by honorable,
good men, who understand their
business and will do the right thing
by their customers. Order your
trees from them and don't deal with
strangers who represent foreign nur-.
series and fancy prices. They will
show you fine specimens of fruit put
up in pretty jars and make most
eloquent speeches and almost COM